Javascript is currently not supported, or is disabled by this browser. Please enable Javascript for full functionality.

The University of Florida is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, engineer, doctoral and professional degrees.

Mass Communication

College

Mass Communication Program Information

Ph.D. in Mass Communication

The Ph.D. degree is a research degree. The Ph.D. program is designed to help develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills so graduates can make important contributions to understanding mass communication. Faculty members help students lay the foundation for a lifetime of significant, creative work.

The doctoral program prepares students for a variety of opportunities in mass communication. Graduates are expected to teach at colleges and universities; conduct research for organizations in advertising, journalism, public relations, telecommunication, and other mass communication fields; do consulting; and conduct research and contribute to policy in government and private organizations. Doctoral students in the College of Journalism and Communications gain valuable experience in both teaching and research. Assistantships help prepare students for academic and other research positions. Students in the program have consistently been among the nation’s leaders in winning top-paper awards at national and regional scholarly meetings.

Master of Arts in Mass Communication (M.A.M.C.)

There are several specializations available for the Master of Arts in Mass Communication:

The Journalism specialization program in the UF College of Journalism and Communications combines study of the academic literature on the societal role and effects of mass communication in general and journalism in particular with courses designed to improve students’ practice of the journalism craft. The Journalism specialization at the master’s level is designed for students interested in all areas of non-broadcast journalism (i.e. newspapers, magazines and online publishing). Those who have an educational and /or professional background in journalism can enhance their understanding of the role of journalism in society, as well as improving reporting and writing skills. However, the program is also well-suited for students with a long-term interest in college-level journalism education, who can pursue the master’s degree as preparation for entry into a doctoral program. For more information, please see our website: http://www.jou.ufl.edu/academics/masters/mamc-journalism.

The Pro Master’s specialization: The Professional Master’s track is an on-campus program focused in four core/cross disciplines: applied theory; communication, technology and society; multimedia storytelling; and data creation/analysis/data visualization.

The track is designed specifically for those who want to develop additional skills to become more competitive in the job market. The program allows you to develop your own customizable curriculum from three key career areas: Data/Research, Creative or Management. Students can use our suggested curriculum or create your own path to reach your personal career goals.

The Public Relations specialization at the master’s level is a research-based program designed to prepare students for careers and advancement in the industry or for entering doctoral studies. Students learn the conceptual foundations of public relations and develop professional and research competency within the duration of the program. Courses in the public relations specialization focus on conceptual foundations of public relations, including mass communication and society; professional and managerial skills mastery; and research expertise. For more information, please see our website: http://www.jou.ufl.edu/academics/masters/master-of-public-relations.

The Telecommunication specialization program in the UF College of Journalism and Communications combines courses in Mass Communication, Telecommunication, and other areas relevant to the student’s goals. There is a thesis track, appropriate for students who will later seek the Ph.D. or who wish to learn the skills and knowledge associated with thesis research or project in lieu of thesis. The Telecommunication track is designed for students with the following interests:

The International/Intercultural Communication specialization: The field of international communication encompasses the study of international journalism (both print and broadcast) and international business and marketing communication. The field of intercultural communication focuses on the interactions between people of different cultures, values and histories. Through their study, students learn to appreciate and engage diverse cultures and media, gaining the knowledge and skills you need to thrive in today’s challenging global community. The international/intercultural track in mass communication culminates with the student writing a thesis on an international/intercultural topic in communication, applying one or more of the methods used in communication research. For more information, please see our website: http://www.jou.ufl.edu/academics/masters/mamc-internationalintercultural-communication-specialization.

The Science and Health Communications specialization program is designed to teach scientists and health specialists to communicate effectively via media, and to teach mass media specialists the background science to translate the language of science and health into meaningful and understandable stories for their audiences. These goals are achieved through theoretical writing and applied courses. At least two aspects of the program make it unique among science communication programs nationwide. First, other existing science communication programs in the U.S. focus on training journalists. UF’s program is open to journalists who want to specialize in covering science and health, offers training for people planning to work as public affairs or public information officers for science and health organizations, for other communication specialists, and for scientists who need to be able to communicate with the public about their work. Second, the program focuses on training students to understand and communicate effectively about science and health policy. For more information, please see our website: http://www.jou.ufl.edu/academics/masters/mamc-sciencehealth-communication.